| Michael and Marisa | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Boston, MA, United States |
| Genres | Pop, rock, teen pop |
| Occupations | Musicians, singers, songwriters |
| Instruments | Guitar, drums, vocals |
| Years active | 2004-present |
| Labels | All Together Records |
| Website | michaelandmarisa.com |
Michael and Marisa are a teen brother/sister pop rock duo from Boston, MA. Having opened for nationally renowned artists such as American Idol finalist David Archuleta,[1] Disney’s Mitchel Musso and Nickelodeon’s Drake Bell,[2] the siblings have performed well over 200 shows nationwide at some of the country's largest venues. In June 2008, they released their debut album, Kickin’ It Together.
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Born less than a year apart, Michael (born December 23, 1997) and Marisa (born December 31, 1996) have both shared a love for music since an early age. Rather than building Lego towers, Michael made music with anything he could find to strike up some noise. At the young age of 3, he scribbled musical notes on coloring books and by age 4, he was stringing notes together and writing music. Following Michael’s insistence, his father, Steve, signed them both up for guitar lessons so that they could bond while practicing. At only 6 years old, Michael’s guitar skills soared quickly. His guitar teacher and mentor, Billy Garzone recalls, "Michael had a real knack for it. It's really rare to find a kid that young who has that much talent.” It wasn’t long before a 7-year-old Michael was playing covers of Buddy Holly and Creedence Clearwater Revival at open mic nights, music festivals and sports arenas, including a Jimi Hendrix version of the National Anthem at a Boston Celtics basketball game in front of 18,000 people.[3]
Shortly thereafter, bored with the violin and eager to jam with her younger brother, an 8-year-old Marisa soon began banging on the drums. She was no newcomer to the spotlight, having performed an ensemble role as Gretel in a production of The Sound of Music, among others. It quickly became apparent that this was more than just a hobby for both Michael and Marisa. They were good. And so the pop rock power duo was born.[4]
With Michael on guitar and Marisa on drums, accompanied by their power pop/rock vocals and harmonies, the duo continuously win over audiences with their energetic live tunes and talent. Many characterize the siblings as a cross between the garage rock pretend-brother-and-sister duo, The White Stripes,[5] and a rock version of Donny & Marie Osmond.
Having performed live a variety of cover songs by artists such as The Beatles, Van Morrison, Bon Jovi, The Who, AC/DC, Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus,[6] this double-bill team has played hundreds of shows at well-known venues across the nation for crowds in the thousands. Michael and Marisa have opened for Disney and Nickelodeon national performers, as well as American Idol finalist David Archuleta at Boston's House of Blues.[1] Their extensive tour and music festival roster also includes Nashville's Rocketown and New York's Lincoln Center,opened for teen stars Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson on part of their "Waiting 4 U" tour, as well as the Camplified 2008 summer tour and The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 tour.[7] Dubbed a "rising force in the tween rock scene,"[8] the two are now hard at work building their repertoire of original songs.
Currently managed by Aimee Berger of Primary Wave Music Publishing in New York City, Michael and Marisa spent nearly two years working on their debut album, Kickin’ It Together, which was independently released in the spring of 2008 to rave reviews. They co-wrote the majority of the songs on the 12-track high-energy and engaging album, along with contributions from Emmy-nominated producer Amy Powers, Boston producer Billy Garzone, producer Russ DeSalvo and Hannah Montana songwriter Jeannie Lurie.[9]
In it for the long haul, the talented pair are set to release their highly anticipated four-track EP titled It's Like That, in the fall of 2010, which was co-written and produced by Peter Zizzo, an award-winning songwriter who has been instrumental in developing the careers of several artists, including Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton. Gina Schock, drummer for The Go-Go’s, is also credited with a co-write. Though this latest EP may showcase a more evolved pop rock sound, lyrically, Michael and Marisa say they will continue to target kids their own age. Their first single off the album, "The Same," was co-written by the siblings and takes a stand against bullying in schools — 20% of the single's proceeds will be donated to anti-bullying cause, Kids Against Bullying. “If our song causes even one bystander to take a stand, that one action could be the start of a chain of events that could help to stop bullying," Marisa says.[10]
Despite a busy music schedule, Michael and Marisa make the time to go to school, hang with friends attend Tae Kwon Do and dance classes, and still manage to find time to ride roller coasters, swim at their grandparents’ pool and hang out with their friends. They have studied Tae Kwon Do for seven years, both earning black belts after five. When they are touring together, they can’t get enough of it. "Performing is one of our favorite things," Michael explains. "The more performances, the better! If we could tour every day, we would." While the less-than-a-year-apart siblings resemble identical twins with similar mannerisms, they are really quite different. Marisa is extremely driven, with a competitive nature, and Michael is the more laid back and artsy of the two. Says their mother, Janet, "They are really close and would go to the ends of the earth for each other."
Michael and Marisa have performed a variety of benefit concerts for charities including the Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Jimmy Fund, Children’s Hospital, Doug Flutie Foundation, Toys for Tots, The Rodman Ride and many others.
In the fall of 2008, Michael received an endorsement from Gibson Guitars. In the spring of 2009, Marisa received an endorsement from the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks, Vic Firth.